Improvement in the manufacture of pig-iron



pig in puddling-furnaces.

UNITED STATES PATENT (Darren.

CHARLES M. NES, OF YORK, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFCTURE OF PIG-IRON.

Specification forming part. of Letters Patent No. 96,827, dated November 16, 1869.

and l hereby declare the following to be afull clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to a mode of facilitating both the production ot' pig-iron from the ore and t the melting and purification of the It is based, first, upon the employment of a concentrated blast analogous to the blow-pipe; secondly, upon the combination of the concentrated blast and electricity to effect the rapid reduction of the ore or the melting of the pig.

The invention further consists in employing, in the blast or cupola furnace for reducing the ore, a soap stone or other perforated bottom, which permits the passage of the melted iron, while it keeps it removed from cinder and other impurities. Y

ln the drawing or diagram which accompanies this specification I have represented, in order to more fully illustrate the manner in which my invention is or may be carried into effect, two cupola-furnaces. My invention,

- however, is applicable to furnaces of any other suitable construction, andI do not limit myself to theprccise form of apparatus herein shown. In each of the furnaces it will be noted that the blast is concentrated at a, the long fiat tuyeres (this being the form preferred) heilig` arranged on all sides of the furnace, and placed close together-say about six inches apartso that a most powerful-and concentrated blast from the engine will be brought to bear upon the ore. In furnaces where the ordinary blast is employed, only the exterior v portions of the charge or burden are usually agent to facilitate the reduction and purification ofthe metal. ATo this end I introduce the f Wires into the furnace at points which will allow them to be inserted into the molten or semi-molten metal, as shown at b c. As the metal (which is a conductor) completes the connection between the two wires, currents of electricity will be constantly passing through the burden of the furnace while the melting is going on, facilitating the melting and purification ofthe ore or iron. The wires should, of course, be connected with a suitable electrical apparatus, and I have contemplated deriving the electricity from the band-wheel of the blast-engine.

Between the ore and the chamber in which the molten metal is received I place a soapstone' or other `suitable perforated bottom, d,

which allows the molten metal to pass through Y without interlnixture with cinder and other impurities, keeping it separated from the coal and ore, and this aids considerably in improving the quality ofthe pig. The bottom can be made removable, and so as to slide in and out, if desired.

In working the furnace, charges of tive hundred'pounds of ore, with coal and iiux, are put into the furnace in the usual waysay every twenty-five minutes. The effect of the coucentrated blow-pipe blast is, as above stated, to 'cause the melting to begin almost instantaneously, and the use'of the electricity aids in this operation, and tends to purify the metal. The molten metal drops or runs through the soap-stone bottom into the lower chamber, whose capacity should be` about sufficient to' contain the metal melted from one charge. From this chamber the metal is tapped off, and the charge is then renewed.

The chamber can have a drop-bottom,f, if desired.

The composition of the ore with which I usually work is as follows: Silica, 40.80; lnetallic iron, 36,07; alumina, 8.65; magnesia, a trace; phosphorus, 0.22.

An analysisof the pig produced from this ore fn-ilsto disclose any phosphorus, :tndthis absence ot' phosphorus l attribute 'to the 'effect of the concentrated blow-pipe bla-st.

It will, of course, be understood that the process is applicable to other ores as well :ts that which I havespecied. ".I'lmvc found, also, that the use of the concentrated blast und electricity Willgreatly facilitatethe melting and purifying of pig-iron in puddlingfur neces. The manner iu which these meunscan be employed with such furnaces will be rendily understood by those skilled in the nrt to vwhich my invention relates, and requires no further exl'lla'nation, for the principle, Whether applied to blast, cupola, or puddling furnaces, will be essentially the seme.

Having; now described my invention, and the manner in which the sume is or may be carried into effect, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The use of the concentrated blow-pipe blast iu furnaces for thc production of iron from the ore or in puddling-furnaces, in the 'manner and for the purposes herein described.

2. The use of the concentrated blow-pipe blu-st in combination with electricity, in the manner herein shown and described, to facilitute the melting und purification ofthe iron iu pla-slt, cupola, or puddling furnaces, as set ort i.

3 The employment, in the blast or other fur,

nace for reducing iron ore, ot' a perforated bottom or partition ot soup-stone or other suitable' material, to separate and keep free the molten niet-al from the cinder, ore, and other impurities, es herein set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my neme to this speciticution before two subscribing witnesses.

CHAS. M.'NES.

Witnesses:

M. BAILEY, WILLIAM H. MCABE. 

